The present invention relates to prefabricated systems for outfitting a building space, where architectural and furniture systems are constructed to utilize selectable accessories. Architectural systems are systems that are typically considered to be building fixtures and the like attached to the building, and that xe2x80x9clook and feelxe2x80x9d like permanent building structures. For example, in this application, the term xe2x80x9carchitectural systemsxe2x80x9d include items such as outer walls, an outer-wall-covering system, an interior-wall-covering system, an interior-wall-forming system, a post-and-beam overhead-frame system, a building-column-covering system, a raised floor system, a drop ceiling system, and an overhead utility-carrying bulkhead system. Contrastingly, furniture systems are systems that a user directly touches and engages and interacts with while doing their job. Furniture systems are characteristically rearrangeable and re-configurable and less permanently attached to a building structure such that they can be more easily removed. For example, in this application, the term xe2x80x9cfurniture systemsxe2x80x9d include items such as a full-height partition system, a partial-height partition system, a partition-attached furniture system, a free-standing furniture system, a cabinet/storage system, and the like. The accessories include items such as shelves, lighting, teaming accessories (such as marker boards, electronic products, material storage products, and work surfaces), space-separating devices (such as privacy screens, hanging panels), personal and customizing products, material-handling accessories, signage, storage products, electronic individual devices (such as telephones, CD players, palm-top and hand-held devices, and recharging devices), and the like.
Prefabricated systems are often used to subdivide and outfit a building space. The advantages are many. Typically, prefabrication lowers cost by taking advantage of mass production. Further, a xe2x80x9cbetter-lookingxe2x80x9d office results since all of the subsystems are designed to go together visually and are often designed for interconnectability. For example, see the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,843 (to Greer et al). However, though the overall system is designed to look good together and for maximum interconnectability, each subsystem tends to have its own set of accessories. This can be inefficient, frustrating, and cost-inefficient, since different accessories are required for each subsystem, even when the two accessories are basically for the same purpose. Part of the problem is driven by the fact that each subsystem necessarily has a different frame that presents a different attachment structure to attach to. For example, a freestanding post of a post-and-beam subsystem is very long but has a small horizontal cross-sectional shape limited to a few inches square, while a partition in the partition subsystem has a freestanding frame that is very thin but several feet long and high, while the frame of an architectural wall-covering subsystem is typically very thin and is not freestanding (i.e. it attaches to a building permanent wall). For these reasons and related structural reasons, each subsystem tends to require different bracketry for supporting accessories. It is desirable to provide accessories and an accessory-mounting system that is common between different furniture subsystems, while still maintaining the advantages of each separate system.
Modern offices are becoming smaller and smaller, and there is an increasing effort to optimize use of office space as well as to make maximum use of every bit of available space. Further, business owners have found that it can be very important to allow workers to customize their areas and make the areas their xe2x80x9cownxe2x80x9d, because workers will tend to work harder, have a better attitude, and be more productive. Further, business owners have discovered that different areas may need different furniture systems. For example, team areas may need a more open floor plan and larger accessories suitable for supporting large group activities, while office areas will tend to need isolated private offices optimized for efficient utilization of space and workflow, and for customization, individualization, and privacy. Nonetheless, despite the different needs of different areas, common accessories are desirable. For example, shelves, screening, storage, paper handling, and lighting are often required in all areas.
One area that often causes problems with a common mounting scheme for accessories is trim. Trim, by definition, covers up (or at least substantially covers up) the furniture system to make the furniture xe2x80x9cvisually cleanxe2x80x9d. This makes it difficult to attach accessories to the underlying framework, since the underlying framework must be accessed through differently oriented slits and crevices, and/or through specially-bored holes. Further, bracketry must be designed to support the weight of an accessory during use, and provide the desired amount of stability to allow comfortable use. The combination of differently oriented slits and crevices, and different shapes of the support structure in various architectural and furniture systems, results in a wide variety of differently shaped brackets, accessories, and assembly schemes. The above problems are complicated by the fact that trim is typically not structural, but instead is a low-cost aesthetic material not able to support significant loads nor able to withstand significant stresses or abrasion during use.
Accordingly, an apparatus is desired solving the aforementioned problems and having the aforementioned advantages.
In one aspect of the present invention, a system for outfitting a building space include an architectural product having a first structural member with a first accessory mount feature, and a furniture product having a second structural member with a second accessory mount feature that is substantially similar to the first accessory mount feature. A plurality of accessories are provided that are each configured to stably engage the first accessory mount feature and also configured to stably engage the second accessory mount feature. In a narrower form, at least one of the plurality of accessories is attached to the first accessory mount feature and at least another one of the plurality of accessories is attached to the second accessory mount feature.
In one narrower aspect, the architectural product includes at least one of a full-height permanent building wall, a post-and-beam product with overhead frame, and a drywall-covered wall. Also in a narrower aspect, the furniture product includes at least one of a partial-height wall, a partition, and a desking system. In yet narrower aspects, the architectural product includes a post-and-beam product with overhead frame, and the furniture product includes a partial-height freestanding partition system.
In another aspect of the present invention, a prefabricated system for outfitting a building space includes an architectural system configured to finish portions of a building space and a partition system constructed and adapted to subdivide the building space for office use. The architectural system includes a first structural member defining at least one longitudinally-extending first accessory-mounting slot with first blind surfaces, and the partition system includes at least one longitudinally-extending second accessory-mounting slot with second blind surfaces. A plurality of accessories each have a base shaped to mateably selectively engage the first blind surfaces of the first accessory-mounting slots and shaped to mateably selectively engage the second blind surfaces of the second accessory-mounting slots, and each include at least one fastener associated with the selected accessory that, when engaged with an associated one of the first and second blind surfaces, is shaped to releasably engage the associated blind surfaces to retain the associated accessory in a selected position along the associated accessory-mounting slot.
In another aspect of the present invention, a system for outfitting a building space includes a post-and-beam system including an overhead framework with beams and a plurality of posts supporting the overhead framework, at least one of the posts and beams including a first accessory-mounting feature in the form of a first elongated slot. The system further includes a partition system having a plurality of interconnected partition panels, the partition panels each including a top surface and end surfaces, with at least one of the top and end surfaces having a second accessory-mounting feature in the form of a second elongated slot. The system also includes a plurality of accessories each configured to matably and stably engage a selected one of the first and second accessory-mounting features to retain the accessory to the selected one mounting feature.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method comprises steps of providing an architectural product and a partition product, each having an identical elongated mount feature; and providing a plurality of accessories adapted for mounting to the mount feature. The method further includes selectively attaching at least one of the plurality of accessories to the mount feature on a selected one of the architectural product and the partition product. In a narrower form, the method includes also selectively attaching the one accessory to the other of the architectural product and the partition product, with the selected one accessory extending between the architectural product and the partition product.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.